Mountain Leader Award (ML)

The Mountain Leader Award (ML) qualifies you to take groups of people walking in mountainous areas in the UK. It does not cover climbing, but does involve some rope-work. It covers navigation, group management and involves overnight camping in the mountains. It is considered to be a 'tough' award to get by those in the industry.

This article details the remit of the award, how to register for it and what exactly it covers. This article has been produced in conjunction with the Mountain Leader Training Association (MLTA).

VIDEO: Mountain Leader Award

The Course

The walking areas and mountains of the UK are often remote and exposed to harsh and unpredictable weather. They can be hazardous places for those who haven't gained the necessary skills and experience. The job of a Mountain Leader is to supervise and guide, providing clients with a safe and enjoyable walking experience, and expanding their knowledge in areas such as environmental awareness and navigation, along the way.

If you gain your ML award, you'll be able to lead walkers anywhere, over any terrain in the UK, under 'summer conditions'. For the purposes of MLTUK awards, summer and winter aren't defined by periods of time but by the conditions that prevail – 'winter conditions' means ice and snow prevail or are forecast. The main skills covered by the ML award are group management, navigation, emergency procedures and equipment, access and conservation issues and security on steep ground. There's an expedition element to the syllabus, too.

Jan Ian Bailey - Summer ML holder

Award Holder Profile - Jan Ian Bailey

"I'm a freelance ML instructor. I also use the ML award in conjunction with SPA and site-specific validation to lead groups gorge-walking. Before the career change, I was a school teacher, and used to be involved in training and assessing Duke of Edinburgh Award students and organising and leading hill walking trips and expeditions.

I found the ML training and assessment courses extremely valuable. You demonstrate your skills then receive informed feedback, which identifies areas for further development. I prepared for the training course by broadening my knowledge of mountain areas in the UK - in terms of practical experience and environmental knowledge - and also by developing the 'soft skills' of leadership by working with a variety of groups and clients. I did as much walking and group leadership as I could, throughout the UK and in the widest range of weather conditions, to prepare for assessment. The foulest weather conditions and complex terrain are the best mediums for identifying any issues with navigation, kit and leadership.

The ML has been the foundation for every other outdoor activity qualification I've worked through from supervising rock climbing (SPA), organising and leading snowsports trips (SCO), guiding and instructing mountain biking (Mountain Bike Technical Leader) and leading walking groups overseas (IML)."

How to register for the ML:

To qualify, you need to be 18 years or over, have 12 months hill-walking experience and have completed at least 20 quality mountain day walks. When you register, you will get a log book. If you've completed far more than 20 mountain days already, log those that best show the breadth of your experience. Overseas experience can be included but, because the ML is a UK orientated award, at least half your logged walks should be within the UK.

As a basic rule, it should be at least five hours in length and have encouraged your development as an all-round mountaineer in some way. Work on logging a range of days involving a variety of weather conditions, exploration of new areas, different types of terrain and some satisfying physical and mental challenges.

When planning a 'quality mountain day', think about how you will develop your leadership skills and include sections where you navigate away from marked paths. Also consider how you will increase your knowledge, practice your skills, pay attention to safety, and what you will do if adverse conditions are encountered.

Training and assessment

Both ML training and assessment courses are six days long and involve a minimum of 60 hours contact time. They can be taken in a series of weekends or over consecutive days. Courses are run in all mountainous areas of the UK and at most times of year.

After the training course, your course director will talk you through what you need to focus on before your assessment. You will need to have logged at least 40 quality mountain days and some leadership experience before the assessment.

The syllabus

1 GROUP MANAGEMENT AND THE RESPONSIBILITES OF THE GROUP LEADER

General responsibilities

Specific responsibilities

Operational responsibilities in the mountains

Personal and leadership skills

2 NAVIGATION

Maps, scales and conventional signs

Contours and other methods of showing relief

Topographical features.

Relating the map to the ground and vice versa

Measuring distance on the map and the ground

Navigating with map alone

Compasses and other navigational aids

Identifying features and position

Methods of relocation

Navigating across country in poor visibility and/or darkness

Route planning and recording routes

3 ACCESS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

The mountain environment

Current legislation regarding access

Knowledge of land management in upland areas

Knowledge of current relevant conservation legislation

Finding information about access to wild country

The Country Code and conservation

4 HAZARDS AND EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Hazards of steep ground

Environmental hazards

Water Hazards (including marshes, streams and rivers)

Emergency procedures

Medical disorders

5 EQUIPMENT

6 EXPEDITION SKILLS

Equipment

Food

General skills

7 WEATHER

Sources of information on weather

Elementary interpretation of weather maps

Weather developments associated with different air masses, major cloud forms, changes in wind direction and in atmospheric pressure.